Outrageous Belief

 

09/21/2015................

 

Let me tell you about my faithful God. Never count Him out, because He is the only ONE you can truly count on. Believe Him and KNOW that He has never encountered the impossible. No situation is beyond His reach. No problem is too big for Him to solve. No sorrow is greater than His love and compassion. There is nothing and no one above or over Him. He is never unavailable and He is ALWAYS on time. He will lift you from the depths and raise you on high. The Joy of the Lord is His to give to all who ask. He is Father, Savior, Provider, Healer, Teacher and Friend. He holds us precious. There is no way to write down everything... there is not enough internet to contain all the wonders of God. ‪#‎outrageousbelief‬

 

 

05/19/2015 .................

 

Well, it is official! I am a new employee of AECOM/URS as of today. I was waiting till I actually went to my first day of work to post anything on here because I have been holding my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop. For almost 2 years, I have been looking for a job. I have sent in applications & resumes almost daily. I have interviewed at numerous places. I have been told "yes, I want to hire you... let me call the employment agency to let them know." a...nd never heard another word. I was beginning to get a complex about it. I know that I am more than qualified or even over qualified for the positions I have applied for. Yes, I worked with Aflac for a while and loved it, but I am not a true sales person. And yes, I have worked an 'at home' job, but it is not enough hours or money. At a time in life when most of my peers are retiring, I am starting a new career. One thing I have discovered is that I prefer to be working rather than at home. The personal freedom is nice, but I believe I will probably continue to work until I am unable to do so. I enjoy being productive. I enjoy working. I guess that's a good thing cause it is a necessity right now. Anyway, God has answered my prayers fantastically!

 

One other thing....   the last two years have been an experience in faith for me.    Trusting God to provide when there was no reason for Him to do so.   He never let me down.   

 

I have no words for that.    Only a heart of gratitude and praise.

 

#outrageousbelief

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

02/03/2015.......................

Several years ago, God began doing some major work in my life.  He was trying to help me out and I was stubborn and didn't know Him well enough to understand.   He pestered me to no end and I was as exasperated as I could be (or so I thought).   He just would not get out of my face.

During that time, I was driving down interstate headed home from work one day and I noticed an 18 wheeler with a box trailer in front of me.    Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to write in the dusty road film on the back of the trailer in nice neat very large block letters "TRUST JESUS".

"Trust Jesus" I thought.   "That's nice.  Um okay. Sure." 

I passed the truck and was enjoying the beautiful day.   The sky was blue with little white puffy clouds. 

By the time I got half way home, big dark thunderclouds had rolled in with lightning flashing everywhere and rain pouring hard.    The windshield wipers could not keep up and my visibility was gone.   I slowed to a crawl down interstate wondering where in the world this storm had come from.

After a few miles, the storm disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and the sky was once again clear and blue with little white puffy clouds.     Well that was weird.

As I exited the highway and came to a stop, I looked to my left to check for traffic and the only thing I could see was the biggest most enormous rainbow in the world!  I had never seen one so beautiful and completely full and bright.

I broke.   Into tears.    All I could think was "Trust Jesus!  He will take me through all of life's storms and troubles.   He will guide me when I can't see the way.   Trust Jesus.   He has a promise for me."

He had put the words on the trailer, He had caused the storm, and He set His rainbow in the sky that day.   ALL FOR ME.  So that I would see and know that He was speaking to me.

It has been a long time since my rainbow.  But His promise holds.

I have been through a lot of storms and there have been days when I could not see the next step.  

But His promise holds.

I do not know what my future holds.   But He holds my future.

Just more cause for this  outrageous belief  that He's got me in His hands and in His plans.   

TRUST JESUS.



#outrageousbelief


(I sketched the picture above in my journal.   I'm no Michaelangelo.)









01/01/2015 .....................

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32: 27)

If God says it, I believe Him. There is not one single solitary thing that He can not do for me or you.

Hard to believe? Try it. Have a ridiculous, radical, outrageous belief that God is on your side, that He has gone to the cross for you and that nothing is impossible with Him. Nothing in your life is beyond His reach and His ability to change, improve, or eradicate.

Or maybe He is just trying to change and improve you and me and eradicate what keeps us from Him. Whatever it is, it is not too difficult for Him to save us.
  
Whatever you are going through, He is there with you.. whatever the outcome.

He said it. I didn't. I believe. I outrageously believe Him. I love You, Lord. ‪#‎outrageousbelief‬

11/27/2014...........

"There’s no right thinking apart from really thanking." which is a quote from my FB friend, author, and sister in Christ Ann Voskamp ...

which started me thinking...
  
So today, let's lay down the wrong things...the wrong thinking. Today, of all days, let us think rightly and with hearts full of God's grace and mercy for all His children... those we love... those we believe are so different from us that we think we can never agree... those who have grieved us and those... who delight us.

Thank Him and think rightly as you celebrate today. Thank Him, and for a time, set aside the thinking that brings harsh words and encourages hate for one another.

For a time... and for a time again... until having a thankful heart is your first thought and gratefulness is your base for living.

Really thanking Him with our praise and our hearts and our actions because without Him, how would we survive? How would we live?
  
Really thanking Him... because without Him, everything is wrong.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Col 3: 17

I believe in Him... which gives me cause to believe that we can do this. ‪#‎outrageousbelief‬

11/19/2014 ...........

Outrageous belief. Hard belief. Belief. Believe. Maybe it's just outrageous to believe that God is working and involved and in control when there doesn't seem to be any reason to keep believing. Keep believing anyway. He always loves. He always cares. He has you in His hands and in His heart. He is always faithful to His promise. ‪#‎outrageousbelief‬


10/30/2014...................

Can I just wallow a bit?   Have just a moment of poor pitiful me?   Can't everyone just stop what they are doing and pay attention?

I confess I have those days when wallowing is what I want to do.     

Wallowing is defined as  " to live self-indulgently; luxuriate; revel: to wallow in luxury; to wallow in sentimentality."   

Wallowing is a luxury that Christian's don't have.    Self pity is an indulgence...a luxury we can not afford.    It is an insult to the love that God has for us... an affront to His sacrifice.

Jesus didn't wallow.     He walked right through every hard day, every inconvenient circumstance.  He went through His entire life without one single solitary moment of  "what about me?".    His only moment of possible despair when He cried out on the cross "My God, my God!   Why have you forsaken me?"  (Mark 15:34 NASB)

He suffered that moment for us.     He had just taken the sin of the entire world upon Himself and was suffering separation from the Father for the first and only time in His life.    Yeah.   He did that so that His children would never have to experience it.    

So when I get the urge to indulge and wallow, I remember what He did for me.       He suffered that heartbreak so that my  heart would be made whole.    He became separated from God the Father so that I could become one with Him.

One with Christ.    One with the Holy Spirit.     One with God the Father.

Yep.  The Creator of the entire realm of everything... He's one with me.

What do I have to complain about?


#outrageousbelief







10/21/2014............

Reflecting on events that occurred a decade before I was born. I watched The Grey Zone on Netflix. It is a movie set in Auschwitz in WWII. Gruesome and horrific. The events of WWII have always fascinated me. No, I am not a history expert... but I've never understood how this could happen or why... except for the presence of evil in our world. Yet even through the attempted extermination of the Jewish people, God used the horror to bring His people back to Israel and prophecy was fulfilled. I love that He put me in this time in His story and that I am a witness even though it is hard and sad and heartbreaking to watch. His children are being decimated and persecuted in other countries. In America we still enjoy the freedom to worship as we will, but for how long? When will the church in America be threatened not only by public opinion but by death for our belief? Our daily news keeps confirming and fulfilling everything He said. Jesus is returning... soon and very soon! People get ready. JMHO Talk about having an outrageous belief! Whew! ‪#‎outrageousbelief‬




10/15/2014 ......................

If nothing is too difficult for God, then why? Why doesn't He answer our prayers when and how we want? Why do we have problems when He could just remove any hardship with a snap of His fingers? Maybe there is more going on than we can see or understand or even imagine. Maybe through our difficulties we are being molded by the Potter into a more perfect vessel... learning to be more like Christ. We can believe God has us in His thoughts and plans and in His hands.... Thank You Lord for Your Word! Thank You that You are in control and that You are always loving and faithful even when we are not. ‪#‎outrageousbelief‬ 
  

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

 

October 13, 2014 ......................

There is room for all of us... for all our needs... all our circumstances... all of our prayers... in the hands of God. He's never too busy and His hands are never too full. Reminds me of the old song "He's got the whole world in His hands." Yes He does. ‪#‎outrageousbelief‬


10/06/2014 ................... 

"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16: 25)

Beaten and imprisoned and in stocks, Paul and Silas were still praising and believing God. Others heard and listened and their lives were changed.

I am not physically imprisoned; however, I am at a 'midnight' place. I know that many people are there also, whether it is an illness, a physical need, an emotional or relationship need or financial. 
   

Our Father... He sent an earthquake and the prison doors opened, and chains were loosed for Paul and Silas and ALL the prisoners.

If He did it for them, He will also loose us from our midnight prisons.   He has room in His grace and mercy for all of us.   Give Him the glory. There are others listening, watching.

So pray and praise Him in your midnight. And have an outrageous belief that He will answer your prayers.

‪#‎outrageousbelief

09/29/2014 ....................   Wow!  Have I really not posted on here since 8/31/2014?    Surely God has been up to something in a month's time and I just didn't comment on it?     

So sorry.

I have been a little preoccupied the last few weeks.    .

But a whole month?

Nope... not right.

Of course, I did take off a week from Facebook.    It was time to reconnect with life off the grid.  Or off the Facebook thingy grid anyway.   

It wasn't so bad.    I might make a practice of it and only allow myself to FB every other day or something.   Maybe.

Mainly though, I have been reflecting.   

Looking back.    Time traveling, if you will.

Reflecting on all the blessings, all the God things that have happened in my life.    Reminding myself of all the times He has come through for me even when I didn't deserve it.   Even when I didn't  know that I needed it. When I didn't think I would make it another day of the same old same old.  Even when I thought I was breaking in two and He was simply rearranging things because He loves me so deeply and He knew I would appreciate it later on.  Even when...

It's a good thing to reflect.    A good thing to count the blessings and the miracles and the love of God showing up in our lives all unexpected and wonderful and life changing.     

A good thing to remember all the reasons to believe Him.

Not just believe in Him.

Take Him at His Word.

Believe Him.



#outrageousbelief




08/31/2014................God is good. All the time. And His plans our for our good.... Those plans may not be for our convenience or comfort or personal satisfaction. But they are for our good and for His glory. Keeping on in this outrageous belief that God is working in my life and yours on our behalf for our good all the time. #outrageousbelief


08/28/2014..............  A good day.    A day with ups and downs.

I am a procrastinator.   Big time.
 
I mean... I get my stuff done.  But if it's something nonessential... well.

So when I do decide to commit to some nonessential activity.... such as getting a little "busy"  work done, it is a big deal.

For a good part of the morning, I made several attempts to send an email that should have gone out yesterday and because of some quirks with my phone, it didn't.   Wouldn't you know it?

So when I decide to use my scanner and my computer to send everything that I thought I had already sent, my internet service becomes non-existent.    Apparently, my internet service provider was working on some stuff and it was causing an outage.

I could have driven back and forth to Texarkana to deliver the documents in all the time I had spent attempting to email.

The email could have waited till later but by this time, I was determined to get it there and show my internetty type  service type people that life goes on without an ISP.  

Shhh..!      ( j/k ISP... don't go out again please)

So that's what I did.   I drove.

See?   I committed.

Did some work at the office.

Met a friend for lunch.   We prayed together.   Nice.

Made some business calls... some of them 'iffy'.

Met some really nice people every where I went.   Well.... almost everywhere... almost nice... some of them...   Okay.  Most of them were nice.   :)

Headed back home and made some phone calls... talked with some more nice people.

It was a 'nice' kinda day.

Took some time out to visit my back porch swing and invest a little time reading out loud in Psalms.
I have committed to spending a little more time with Him lately.     I procrastinate about that too.

But today was a day of keeping commitments.
  
Every day should be like that.

It was hot out there on my back porch swing.  No breeze blowing.  Just nice and hot.   Hot enough that I noticed anyway.

But I was enjoying my Bible reading and time with the Father.... and my back porch swing and fresh air.

This isn't for everyone.   Some people just .... well they just... you know.

Then again... it's for them too.  

As I was reading His Word back to Him and praising Him out loud, I felt a chill.  A chill all over.  A chill that lasted for a bit.

Did I say it was hot out there?

I believe it was His way of letting me know He was near and listening.
    
You make of it what you will. 

In some circles, those chills would start a Holy Ghost Revival!    Booyah!

NO... a relationship with Him is not about the chills and goose bumps.    It is about a relationship.  With Him.

They don't come often.    But those little hair raising moments are nice.
 
He could have flattened me, you know.   

Psalm 97: 5    "The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth!!!!!!!!"  

Thank goodness THAT didn't happen today!     What a mess that would have been!

He also "sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains." (Psalm 104: 10)

I needed a spring today.  A spring in this valley.   A nice cold chill of a spring.    You see, I have been asking Him for some really big stuff.    Or it's big stuff to me anyway.     It's nice to know He is drawing near.

Or maybe I was drawing near to Him.     Being all non dilly dallying today and everything.

Thank You Lord.   For always keeping Your commitments.

May I always hear Your voice and be committed to "carrying my cross"...  and following you.
 
Chills or no chills. 

#outrageousbelief     #onmybackporchswing 



08/27/2014................Well, this has been expected.   Or shall I say "Not unexpected."

How can I write about having an outrageous belief unless I also write about the counterpart to that?

 I must admit that there are days when I struggle with this experiment in living with an #outrageousbelief that God is involved in the tiniest detail of my existence and that His plan for me will not fail.

Those are the days that I give in to worry and anxiety about my future... immediate and long term. 

Those are the days that I panic and try to do things on my own.   I question Him and I question myself.  I am stalled... at a standstill in my life and plans and dreams.    Things just don't seem to be working.   He seems to be a little slow in the uptake on my needs.    Hah!

After all, He has a lot going on.   His people are being persecuted, tortured, killed.   Don't their needs outweigh mine?

Obviously so.

Yet His thoughts are not our thoughts.  His plans are not our plans.

His are higher.

Those are the days that I need to trust Him more.

The days when I need to remember that He silenced the doggies just so we could talk, that He held me through the most painful times of my life, that He has provided every good thing in my life and that He has always turned my mourning into dancing and my sorrow into laughter.  

Those are the days that I need to carry on and know that He is in control.

That His mighty and tender hands are never too full and busy that He can not add one more.

That His attentive ears always hear.

That He always answers in His perfect time and way.    

Today is one of those days.  Trust.   Remember.    Believe.  Outrageously Believe.  

Father in Heaven, glorious and exalted, I need You.    We ALL need You.  I am so thankful for Your faithfulness.    Amen.  

 

08/14/2014....................... So I sat down on my back porch swing the other morning and began trying to have a conversation with the Lord. 

I say 'trying' because as soon as I started talking, the neighborhood dogs began barking. 

One in the yard next door... one behind... another off in the distance.

I   am one of those people that has a difficult time holding a conversation when there is a lot of background noise going on.    Other conversations, TV, radio, dogs barking, kids playing loudly.... those kinds of things.   That noise causes me to lose focus on even the words coming out of my own mouth, much less being able to focus on what the other party in my conversation is saying.  

Anyway, so here I am wanting (and needing) to have an important conversation and these dogs are barking as though they are on an old record that has skipped and keeps repeating the same words of a song over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.... bark bark bark... bark bark bark... bark bark bark...

They were just doing their thing.    Who knows?   Maybe they were getting in a little doggy praise in the morning.    

I could see this prayer was going nowhere because of the sound of their furry dog praise and I was beginning to become a little frustrated.  

Seems like there is always something that is attempting to hinder a prayer.   Even if it's another's praise.    Even if it's just a normal every day thing in your life.

Finally, I just asked God to please quiet these dogs so that we could talk.    

Instantly!   Immediately!

Quiet!

No barking!

All of them stopped at the same time.  

Like he muted the volume on the TV or radio.   

Like He said "Peace! Be still!"

I am not making this up.

Dogs don't ALL just stop barking at one time.   That doesn't happen.

But it did.

God closed their snouts.      Haha!  Imagine dogs wondering why they can't bark?   Cause you know they wanted to keep on woofing.  It's what they do.    Bet they were a bit puzzled when they opened their mouth and no sound came out.

Just another reason for having an #outrageousbelief that God is in control.   He hears our prayer.

If He will muzzle the snouts of multiple puppy dogs so that we can meet together and spend time with each other, I do believe that He wants to hear from me (or you) and considers time with us well spent.  He enjoys our company and values it.    If He can and will mute their woofers just so you can hold a conversation, then He can and will answer our prayers, provide our needs, and bless us beyond all belief.  

So next time you go to pray and become distracted by something.. just tell God.   He will be glad to turn down the noise, remove the distraction.    Our visits are important to Him.

Woof!


7/24/14...........................Took one more step in this experiment of #outrageousbelief !     I think I will take God at His Word.    He always lives up to it.

Matthew 6:34, Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. Took one more step in this experiment of #outrageousbelief ! I think I will take God at His Word. He always lives up to it. Matthew 6:34, Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.


7/17/14.................Sometimes... most of the time.... what we want or think we want does not line up with what God wants for us. Or if it does line up, it falls far short of God's plan. Because we just don't think like He thinks. We live and believe as though we are citizens of this world... and our list of stuff needed reflects that kind of belief. As born again Christians, we are told that we are in this world..., but not of it. Our faith and our lives should show evidence of an outrageous belief that what we have been told is true. Without that kind of faith, we minimize our expectations and make Him out to be less that what He truly is. We minimize Him when we don't take Him at His Word. Come on now! He created everything from nothing. He is love incarnate. He is the great "I Am"! His promise is more substantial than the ground that we walk on and the world that surrounds us. Let's start acting like we believe that and we will see the evidence of it in our lives. " Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) Let's live by substantial and evidential faith. I am making an effort to live with an #outrageousbelief that He is doing more for me than I can ever imagine... it's all good.

7/16/14 ...............All geared up for another day of outrageous belief!    No matter what my circumstance.... No matter how I 'feel'..... I know with everything in me that my God will supply all my need through Christ Jesus.     What kind of God is this?   He is the only One that gives life and light and salvation.     Have faith and KNOW that He is faithful to His Word.  #outrageousbelief  (  #Philippians4:19   And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. )

7/15/14 ...............Why don't we all just be outrageous today and actually believe God will do what He says He will do! Trust Him. When He says "I Am", it literally makes me stop and catch my breath. The Great I Am. The One that spoke all of creation into existence. Yeah, Him. He can probably handle our problems, ya think? #outrageousbelief